UN JOINS BAHA'IS TO IMPLEMENT NEW WORLD ORDER
by Mary Ann Budnik
The UN World Summit for Social Development and the Nongovernmental
Forums (NGO Forums) being held March 6th-12th in Copenhagen, Denmark,
bring together a new set of players. Of the 776 NGOs attending the
summit, only 33 are pro-life NGOs. Although, not surprisingly, the
NGO listing is very intriguing. Representation is heavily Third World
with India, Bangladesh, South America, and Africa sending the bulk of
the NGOs. The United States, unlike the UN conference in Cairo, is
sending few. Frances Kissling and her Catholics for a Free Choice, of
course, will make an appearance, as well as Dr. Daniel Maguire and
his Religious Consultation on Population, Reproductive Health, and
Ethics. Maguire's main financial support, the Ford Foundation, will
also be visible. Another entry is the Mellon Foundation.
Three groups in particular bear watching because their focus is the
theme of the summit-one-world religion and one-world government. The
first is the World Scientific Spiritual Party of India. This group
"promotes humanist and universal brotherhood by persuading world
leaders to establish a world government, or a federation or
parliament of the world, based on politico-spiritual ideas." The
second NGO of this sort is the New World Order Development.
But the most significant group is the international Baha'i
delegation. Although classified as a religion, the Baha'i
International Community registered in 1948 with the UN as an
international nongovernment organization (NGO). It is sending 17
National Spiritual Assemblies from the countries of Albania, Austria,
Brazil, Finland, France, Greece. Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands,
Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United
Kingdom, and the United States. Besides these, it is sending two
Regional Spiritual Assemblies from the Czech/Slovak Republics and
from Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldavia. It seems strange that while the
NGO list heavily favors Third World countries, the official Baha'i
delegations are from the West. Could the large number of NGOs coming
from India, where the largest concentration of Baha'is reside, be
fellow members? Why is this summit so important to the Baha'i faith?
A Precursor
To understand its involvement, let's first consider the purpose of
the UN. "A major purpose of the United Nations is 'to achieve
international cooperation in solving international problems of an
economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in
promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for
fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex,
language, or religion.' The general assembly, the Economic and Social
Council, along with the council's commissions, the secretariat, and
the specialized agencies, are the organs primarily responsible for
action in this field."[1]
Let's compare the UN's purpose to Baha'i beliefs. In the UN NGO
accreditation documents, the Baha'is explain their belief in the
"oneness of humanity, and its supporting concepts such as equality of
women and men, world citizenship, the abolition of prejudice,
universal education, , and
the protection of the environment." Their founder, Baha'u'llah, gives
a more complete explanation: "For a global society to flourish . . .
it must be based on certain fundamental principles. They include: the
elimination of all forms of prejudice; full equality between the
sexes; recognition of the essential oneness of the world's great
religions; the elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth
universal education; the harmony of science and religion; a
sustainable balance between nature and technology; and the
establishment of a world federal system, based on collective security
and the oneness of humanity."[2] The UN and the Baha'is complement each
other. But the above descriptions of purpose of the Baha'is are not
quite complete. The actual purpose of their religion and their
mission is the institution of a one-world religion (the Baha'i
religion) and one-world government. "Recognition of the oneness of
mankind , must be
universally upheld."
According to its publications, "The worldwide Baha'i community has
long supported the United Nations, an institution which many Baha'is
see as a precursor to the New World Order called for by
Baha'u'llah."[3] The Baha'is' relationship to the UN is so intimate
that their Office of Public Information is located at the United
Nations Plaza. This alliance actually began prior to the founding of
the League of Nations. Abdu'l- Baha, the son of the founder,
personally worked for the founding of the league. He called President
Woodrow Wilson a "wonderfully visionary man." To reciprocate such
support, the League of Nations helped the Baha'is in 1929 to reclaim
their founder's house in Baghdad where Baha'u'llah had lived in
exile.
In 1948, only two years after the first session of the UN, Baha'i
International was granted not only NGO status with the UN, but that
same year it also became affiliated with the UN Office of Public
Information.
The Baha'is believe that all difficulties can be resolved through
consultation and agreements reached through consensus. Voting is
rarely used in their internal communities. Likewise, the UN attempts
to follow the same philosophy.
"Those who drafted the United Nations charter believed that many
areas of economic and social cooperation, while requiring an
intergovernmental approach, could be more effectively covered by
relatively autonomous functional organizations. Consequently, it was
assumed that international cooperation in this field would find
expression in a great variety of governmental organizations. Of
these, those with 'wide international responsibilities' were to be
brought into relations with the United Nations as specialized
agencies "[4]
In 1970, the Baha'i International Community was granted consultative
status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United
Nations. It has a similar status with the United Nations Children's
Fund (UNICEF) and is also affiliated with the UN Environment Program
(UNEP). According to its information sheet, the Baha'i faith "has
representatives with the United Nations in New York Geneva, and
Nairobi. Local Baha'i communities are encouraged to support the UN's
various humanitarian projects. The Baha'i International Community
participates in meetings of UN agencies concerned with human rights,
social development, the status of women, the environment, human
settlement, food, science and technology, population, the law of the
sea, crime prevention, substance abuse youth, children, the family,
disarmament, and the United Nations University."
In return, the protection of its members is a concern of the UN. In
1981 the UN Subcommission on the Prevention of Discrimination and
Protection of Minorities passed a resolution drawing attention to the
persecution of Baha'is in Iran; 48 were killed in Iran that year. By
1985, the UN General Assembly condemned Iran for human rights
violations against the Baha'is.
In 1985 the Universal House of Justice (the ruling body of the
religion) issued , a 192-page book which
was distributed to all the world leaders. "In 1987, the Baha'i
International Community and five national Baha'i communities were
recognized by the United Nations with the 'Peace Messenger' award, a
prize in recognition of contributions by nongovernmental
organizations during the 1986 UN International Year of Peace."[5]
In 1992 the Baha'i Vocational Institute for Rural Women in Indore,
India, received the Global 500 Award from the UN Environmental
Program.
"Humanity's Impending Transformation "
Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i faith, based his New World
Order on these points:
* Recognized and secure borders for all nations;
* Freedom of travel and thought for all peoples;
* A general disarmament;
* The establishment of a world federation of nations;
* The establishment of a world tribunal for the adjudication of
international disputes
* The creation of an international military force capable of
enforcing the peace through the principles of collective security;
* A commitment to the protection of cultural diversity.
Shoghi Effendi, grandson of the founder, wrote in 1936: "Unification
of the whole of mankind is the hallmark of the stage which human
society is now approaching.... World unity is the goal toward which
a harassed humanity is striving. Nation-building has come to an end.
. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish,
recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and
establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this
fundamental principle of its life."[6]
For Baha'is, the New World Order "covers the full range of human
activities, from the social and political realm to the everyday
relationships in our cultural, spiritual, economic, and community
lives. It is both an internal and an external reordering.... The
emergence of this order can be seen in thousands of ways: the
century-long trend toward greater equality for women and minorities;
in the century-long trend toward greater economic justice and the
.
"Baha'u'llah foresaw all of these trends. He spoke of humanity's
impending transformation and promulgated a framework of principles
and ordinances that could promote social progress in this new age.
"The New World Order can only be built upon the deep comprehension of
humanity's spiritual reality-a reality that lies at the very essence
of our beings.
"It is the spiritual world that is the source of those human
qualities that engender unity and harmony, that lead to insight and
understanding, and that make possible cooperative undertakings. Among
such qualities are love, courage, vision, self-sacrifice, and
humility. Essentially spiritual in nature, these qualities form the
invisible yet essential foundation of human society."[7] Why is this
spirituality accepted by the UN but the Holy See's spirituality
ridiculed?
A World Script
Let's take a look at the New World Order as it was explained in 1930
by Shoghi Effendi to Baha'is of the West. It gives flesh to the
vision of a one-world government: "This world commonwealth must, as
far as we can visualize it, consist of a world legislature, whose
members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately
control the entire resources of all the component nations, and will
enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy
the needs, and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples.
"A world executive, backed by an international force, will carry out
the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by this world
legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole
commonwealth. A world tribunal will adjudicate and deliver its
compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise
between the various elements constituting this universal system.
"A mechanism of world intercommunication will be devised, embracing
the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions,
and functioning with marvelous swiftness and perfect regularity. A
world metropolis will act as the nerve center of a world
civilization, the focus toward which the unifying forces of life will
converge and from which its energizing influences will radiate. A
world language will either be invented or chosen from among the
existing languages and will be taught in the schools of all the
federated nations as an auxiliary language to their mother tongue. A
world script, a world literature, a uniform and universal system of
currency, of weights and measures, will simplify and facilitate
intercourse and understanding among the nations and races of mankind.
"In such a world society, science and religion, the two most potent
forces of human life, will be reconciled, will cooperate, and will
harmoniously develop. The press will, under such a system, while
giving full scope to the expression of the diversified views and
convictions of mankind, cease to be mischievously manipulated by
vested interests, whether private or public, and will be liberated
from the influence of contending governments and peoples.
"The economic resources of the world will be tapped and fully
utilized, its markets will be coordinated and developed, and the
distribution of its products will be equitably regulated.
"National rivalries, hatreds, and intrigues will cease.... The causes
of religious strife will be permanently removed.... Destitution on
the one hand, and gross accumulation of ownership on the other, will
disappear.
"A world federal system, ruling the whole earth and exercising
unchallengeable authority over its unimaginably vast resources,
blending and embodying the ideas of both the East and the West,
liberated from the curse of war and its miseries, and bent on the
exploitation of all the available sources of energy on the surface of
the planet, a system in which Force is made the servant of Justice,
whose life is sustained by its universal recognition of one God and
by its allegiance to one common Revelation-such is the goal toward
which humanity, impelled by the unifying forces of life, is moving."[8]
The International Body
In an interview, Tom Yale, the Springfield, III., Baha'i custodian,
elaborated on the Baha'i plan to draw all nations together. This plan
includes the elimination of all types of prejudice-race, class, sex,
even prejudice in language. They use inclusive language. On a city
bus, the Baha'i ad reads, "One religion, one-world government, and
one humankind." Humankind is a buzzword in the draft documents.
Yale explained that humanity has reached the collective maturity to
do away with prejudice, and since humanity has also evolved from the
unity of family, to the unity of the tribe, to the unity of the
city-states, it is only logical to now evolve to unity on a global
scale. "We regard the UN as being a precursor to world government
where every nation of the world gives up a little of its sovereignty
to be better able to cooperate with its neighbors, and to work for
the betterment of all the peoples of the earth. This will eliminate
war."
When asked to describe the form of one-world government, Yale
explained, "There will be a chief executive elected by
representatives of the different countries of the world. It would be
a lot like the American form of government. Besides the chief
executive, there will also be the judicial and legislative branches."
Mike Lang, the local Baha'i information officer, offered additional
information. He remarked: "There is a need in the world for some type
of international governance. The UN lacks teeth. [In the New World
Order], individual nations will remain autonomous and maintain order
within their own borders. They will celebrate their own ethnic
background, but all the nations will ultimately answer to the
International Body. Baha'u'llah's writings talk about an event that
will be a precursor to the formation of the world government. We do
not know specifically what it is other than it is some catastrophic
event. It is not necessarily bloodshed, but more likely an that will form the countries of the world into one-world
government."
Lang continued with the Baha'i vision of the future: "We believe that
there will be two types of peace. The first is called the Lesser
Peace. It will be a political peace and could come by the end of this
century. The Baha'is will not be part of the making of this peace.
The second peace is called the Most Great Peace. During this period
of peace, which will last 1,000 years, people will live according to
the will of God. There will be unity."
Lang also described the government of the Baha'i religion. He made an
interesting comment. Recently, the House of Justice, the infallible
governing body of nine men, issued an unprecedented invitation for
the Spiritual Assembly of the U.S. (a nine- member board) to meet
with it at the International Headquarters in Haifa, Israel. What
urgency brought about that invitation?
A Spiritual Vision?
Considering the Baha'is' beliefs and their alliance with the UN,
let's consider their impact on the upcoming UN World Summit for
Social Development. Prior to the summit, various programs were held
in preparation. Oct. 28th-30th, 1994, a seminar on the Ethical and
Spiritual Dimensions of Social Progress was organized by the
secretariat in Bled, Slovenia. The governments of Austria, France,
and Switzerland defrayed the travel costs of the participants. This
meeting sounds like a Baha'i initiative. Did the Spiritual Assemblies
of Austria, France, and Switzerland take an active role? Did they
lobby their governments to pay the expenses?
The summit itself is at the level of heads of state. The two-day
meeting of the leaders of the world is preceded by meetings attended
by the personal representatives of the heads of government.
The draft document begins, "For the first time in history, at the
invitation of the United Nations, we gather as heads of state and
government to recognize the significance of social development and
human well-being for all and to give to these goals the highest
priority both now and into the 21st century." Point n. 3 explains:
"" Since when are the
UN and the heads of government interested in the spiritual needs of
the people of the world? The attacks by the UN and its publications
on the Holy See and the Catholic Church in Cairo were so crude, so
mean-spirited that it is difficult to take their concern for the
"spiritual needs of individuals" seriously, especially when Frances
Kissling and Dan Maguire are invited back to attack the Church again
at this summit. Point n. 12 says that "we are witnessing in
countries throughout the world the expansion of prosperity for some,
unfortunately accompanied by an expansion of unspeakable poverty for
others. This glaring contradiction is unacceptable and needs to be
corrected through urgent actions."
Under goals we read: "We, heads of state and government, are
committed to a political, economic ethical, and spiritual vision for
social development." What is this "spiritual vision" that keeps
cropping up throughout the document? Because it is so vague, there is
no opposition to it.
Goal (G) which is pending and will be discussed at the summit is not
only controversial but a tenet of the Baha'i faith. It wishes to
"promote more equitable distribution and income and greater access to
resources through equity and equality of opportunity for all." Social
justice is an important Baha'i concern. Baha'u'llah "wrote
extensively about the necessity of promoting economic justice and
proposed specific remedies to help control the extreme inequalities
of wealth in human society. [9]
"Equity and equality for women" are Baha'i buzzwords which along with
the empowerment of women are addressed throughout the UN document.
Disarmament is another Baha'i concern. We read in n. 18: "The
negative impact upon development of the production and trade in arms
must be addressed."
Baha'is are not interested in the overpopulation debate. But the
radical overpopulation groupies are still pushing their doomsday
concerns about mythical overpopulation at this summit.
The heads of state claim to "launch a global drive for social
progress and development embodied in the following commitments: We
commit ourselves to create an enabling economic, political, social,
cultural, and legal environment that will enable people to achieve
social development." How can this be accomplished apart from a
one-world government?
"We commit ourselves to the goal of eradicating poverty in the world,
through decisive national actions and international cooperation, as
an ethical, social, political, and economic imperative of
. Formulate or strengthen as a matter of urgency, and
preferably by the year 1996, the International Year for the
Eradication of Poverty, national policies and strategies geared to
substantially reducing overall poverty in the shortest possible time,
and reducing inequalities, and to eradicate absolute poverty by a
target date to be specified by each country in its national context."
If you think taxes are high now, just wait.
The UN is trying to set the target date of 1996 for debt cancellation
or at least reduction for Africa and possibly other Third World
countries. This concern for the Third World does not carry over to
the World Bank that holds loans hostage until countries enforce
family planning programs on their citizens.
They plan to "ensure that . . . taxation systems are fair,
progressive, and economically efficient, cognizant of sustainable
development concerns, and " They also intend to "explore new ways of generating
new public and private financial resources . . . through the
appropriate reduction in excessive military expenditures including
global military expenditures and arms trade, investments for arms
production and acquisition."
Point n. 23 explains that "the eradication of poverty cannot be
accomplished through antipoverty programs alone, but will require
democratic participation in
order to ensure access for all to resources, opportunities, and
public services (to redistribute wealth and income to eliminate
existing inequalities)." Isn't this Marxism?
Pages and pages of the draft and the Program of Action espouse the
agenda of the Baha'is. This Program of Action is the implementation
of a one-world government.
A List Of Radicals
Other radical NGOs attending the summit include the Bonded Labor
Liberation Front of India, the Coalition for a Strong United Nations,
Earth Action Network, the Global Commission to Fund the United
Nations, the International Antinuclear Movement, the International
Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth, the National Abortion and
Reproductive Rights Action League, Parte Communiste Francais, and
Plutonium Free Future. Sprinkled in are feminist and family planning
groups; agriculture and environmental groups; and labor groups.
Surprisingly, only the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria is
registered.
For the casual reader, the documents may appear to promise "a
brighter tomorrow." That is why one pro-lifer who attended PrepCom
III kept saying, "Mary Ann, it's really a good document! It's not
like Cairo at all." But things are not as they seem. A comprehensive
reading of The Baha'is (A Profile of the Baha'i Faith and Its
Worldwide Community) and the UN draft and Program of Action will
disclose that they are identical in all aspects. Look again at the
list of radicals attending the summit. Are you willing to give up
your freedom to a one-world government based on a pseudo one- world
religion?
ENDNOTES
1. , vol. 22 p. 710a.
2. , p. 77.
4. , vol. 22 p. 710b.
5. The Baha'is. p. 72.
6. , p. 54.
7. , p. 74.
8. , p. 75.
9. , p 29.
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